Physical exercise is well understood to promote physical health and mental well-being. Exercise is facilitated by a variety of exercise equipment to help a user achieve particular results and objectives. One such piece of equipment that has become increasingly popular is the exercise tire. An exercise tire is a heavy, large diameter tire, such as a tractor tire, that is typically used to perform a “tire flip.” A tire-flip exercise generally involves a user entering into a squat or bent-over position adjacent to an edge of the tire, placing the palms of their hands in an upward facing orientation on a bottom surface of the tire, and then exploding upward to flip the tire onto an opposite side.
While an effective piece of equipment, particularly for developing explosive strength, the exercise tire is not without its drawbacks. Aside from the difficulty of justifying floor space for a large piece of equipment that is typically used for a small number of exercises, the physical structure of the tire is such that its current use can lead to injury. When performing the tire-flip, a user must orient their hands so that their palms face upward against a downward facing surface of the tire. However, this places the user's biceps in a vulnerable condition particularly susceptible to injury, such as muscle strain or tendon damage. Also, there is a tendency for users to round their lower back while in the squat or bent-over position in order to position their hands sufficiently underneath the tire, which may also make injury more likely when performing the explosive movement of a tire-flip.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that increases the versatility of the exercise tire while also making it safer and easier to use.